Bangladesh’s dream of reaching the final of the Commonwealth Beach Handball Championship ended in the semi-finals in Kulhudhuffushi, Maldives, after a straight-sets defeat to Pakistan.
In the first semi-final of the six-nation tournament, Pakistan, regarded as favourites, proved too strong and won 2-0. Bangladesh put up some resistance in the opening set but went down 22-17. Pakistan then dominated the second set comprehensively, sealing it 27-05 to confirm their place in the final.
This was Bangladesh’s second loss to the same opponents, having also fallen 2-0 to Pakistan in their final group-stage match.
Bangladesh will now play for bronze on Monday, 22 September, at 5 pm Bangladesh time. Their opponents will be the losing side from the second semi-final between Sri Lanka and hosts Maldives.
Despite the disappointment, Bangladesh produced some notable performances earlier in the tournament. They opened with a commanding 53-27 victory over South Africa, with Khokon Molla of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) named player of the match. Molla was also named best player when Bangladesh defeated India 7-3 in another impressive group-stage display.
